Door latch



W. W. RICE June 19, 1962 DOOR LATCH Original Filed April 6, 1956 INVENTOR. MAL/AM W Rm; BY g H/s Arramvix L I ll United States Patent 1 Claim. or. 292-293) The invention disclosed in this application is the subject of my abandoned application, Serial No. 576,701 filed April 6, 1956.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a door latch especially designed and adapted for latching an inwardly swinging door in locked position with rmpect to the door frame.

An object of my invention is to provide a device of the character hereinafter described which may be quickly and easily applied to latch a door in locked position by one other than a skilled mechanic.

Another and equally important object of the invention is to provide such a device which comprises relatively few parts and which may be conveniently carried in the pocket or in the luggage of the user.

My improved latch is especially designed to prevent the opening of a locked inwardly swinging door by one endeavoring to gain unlawful entry into an occupied room by jimmying the lock or by use of a skeleton or duplicate key to unlock the door.

Another and equally important object of this invention is to provide such a latch which comprises relatively few parts, thereby resulting in economical manufacture of the same, thus permitting the door latch to be placed upon the market at a reasonable selling price.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention showing the parts in exploded relation and in relation to a door j FIG. 3 is atop plan view of the invention showing the same in applied position with respect to a door and door j FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the invention illustrating a modified form of construction;

FIG. 5 is a view of the modified form shown in FIG. 4, as viewed from the top, showing the same in applied position with respect to a door and door jamb.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive, showing one form of construction of my invention, a latch plate is indicated at 10. This latch plate is of rigid construction and includes at one end a right-angularly extending latch finger 11 and at the other end portion a right-angularly extending flange 12 extending in the same general direction as the latch finger 11. The main body portion 13 of the latch plate is provided with a plurality of openings 14 which in the present instance are substantially rectangular in shape.

The flange 12 at its outer edge 15 has an open notch 16 formed therein for reasons hereinafter more fully explained. A bearing block is indicated at 17 and may be formed of any suitable material. This block 17 is provided with a threaded opening 18 and threaded into this opening 18 is a pressure screw 19. At one end of the screw 19 there is provided a foot 20 and at the opposite end a pressure screw 19 is flattened to provide a fingerpiece 21.

Extending from the block 17 substantially at right angles with respect to the screw 19 is an elongated bearing finger 22. One end of this finger 22 is fixedly secured in the block .19 by means of a suitable set screw 23.

In use, to apply the latch to a door jamb and a door, the latch finger 11 is projected into the keeper plate 24 of the door jamb 25, this being done with the door 26 in open position. The bearing finger 22 is then projected through a selected opening of the openings 14, the selected opening being an opening which will dispose the bearing finger 22 in close engagement with the adjacent surface 27 of the door jamb. The screw 19 is then rotated by manipulating the finger piece 21 to bear the foot 20 against the adjacent surface 28 of the door 26.

When completely installed, the parts of my door latch are arranged in the position shown in FIG. 3 and are related to the door jamb 27 with the latch finger 11 engaging in the keeper opening 24, the bearing finger 22 against the surface 27 of the door jamb, and the foot 20 in bearing relation with the adjacent surface 28 of the door 26. In such position of the door latch, the door 26 is rigidly latched against opening and the same cannot be opened by either having the door lock jimmied or the door lock opened by the use of a skeleton key or a duplicate key.

My improved door latch will be especially usefully to traveling salesmen, tourists, and those occupying rooms in hotels, motel courts, and like places.

The several parts of my improved door latch may be formed of such material as will best serve the purpose and as will permit the door latch to be manufactured at an economical cost.

In the form shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive, when the device is not in applied position, the screw 19 is mounted with a portion of the shank thereof disposed in the notch 16 and, when thus disposed, the bearing block 17 is threaded against the flange 12, thus holding the bearing block in the position shown in FIG. 1, in which position the device may be conveniently stored away or carried in the pocket or luggage or the like, for future use.

In FIGS. 4 and 5 I have illustrated the invention in a modified form of construction. In this connection, the latch plate 29, like the latch plate 10, includes a latch finger 30 extending from one end of the plate 29 substantially at right angles with respect thereto. The opposite end portion of the plate 29 extends substantially at right angles with respect thereto, and is reversely bent to provide a socket 31 within which a bearing block 32 is mounted when the block 32 is not in applied position to latch a door. From this block 32 extends a bearing finger 33 similar to the pin 22.

In FIG. 5, the form of construction illustrated in FIG. 4 is shown in applied position with respect to a door jamb 34 and a door 35. Like in the form of construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, latch finger 30' engages in the keeper slot 36 of the door jamb. The bearing finger 33 is projected through the proper slot of the slots 37 formed in the keeper plate 29, to dispose the finger 33 in bearing engagement with the adjacent surface 38 of the door jamb 34. In this position of the parts with respect to the jamb 34 and door 35, as in the case of the form of construction shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the door 35 cannot be unauthorizedly opened.

When not in use, the block 32 is mounted in the socket 31 provided by the latch plate 29, and when thus mounted in the socket 31, the device may be conveniently stored away or carried in the pocket or luggage of the user until future use.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A .door latch for latching a door against swinging movement in one direction with respect to a door jarnb including a substantially U-shaped latch plate having one arm thereof formed to provide a latch finger engageable in a keeper slot of said door jamb, said U-shaped latch plate having a plurality of openings formed in the bight portion thereof, a bearing block, a bearing finger carried by said block and extending substantially at right angles with respect thereto and adapted to be projected through any one of said openings to a position substantially parallel with respect to the latch finger and with said block in facial abutment with said latch plate, a thread bearing member carried by the block for adjustment longitudinally with respect thereto and in a parallel direction with respect to the bight portion of said U-shaped latch plate, a door engaging footon one end portion of said thread bearing member of a size less than the thickness of said block so as to have bearing engagement with a surface of the door immediately adjacent said latch plate when said bearing block is in facial abutment with said latch plate, said thread bearing member at its end portion opposite said foot being flattened to provide a finger piece, and a storage means for said bearing block provided by said other arm of said latch plate which is adapted to frictionally hold said block and said bearing finger when the same is not used as a door latch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Noel Dec. 3, 1921 Holland Jan. 26, 1937 McNaney May 30, 1939 

